The Ferris Fire northwest of Dolores is about 51,000 acres and 21% contained.
Ferris Fire Information said Monday afternoon that fire activity was increasing in Dolores River Canyon. Current activity was centered about one mile north of Bradfield Bridge and farther north in Glade Canyon.
Crews have prepared parts of Forest Service Road 504 and the Tri-State transmission line corridor to serve as control lines if the fire reaches those areas. If conditions are favorable, crews may burn off those prepared lines to create a wider buffer and slow further spread to the north and east.
Heavy helicopters and super scooper aircraft are supporting firefighting operations, and air tankers with retardant are on call.
Evacuation orders remain in place for areas east of County Road 15, from the Montezuma County line to County Road H.6, including areas east to the rim of Dolores River Canyon. Residents in GO areas should leave now and follow Dolores County Emergency Management updates for current boundaries.
Dolores County has also placed Zones 13 and 14 in SET status. Zone 13 includes the Dove Creek area and County Road 10 from Highway 491. Zone 14 runs from County Road J on the south side, north along Road 8.7, and includes areas north of County Road C to the San Miguel County line.
SET means residents should be ready to leave if conditions change, but should not evacuate unless officials tell them to go.
Residents can find an evacuation map with zones on Watch Duty. Officials have previously cautioned that some online maps may lag behind the latest evacuation updates, so residents should continue checking Dolores County Emergency Management and official fire information.
At a community meeting in Dove Creek, fire officials said the Ferris Fire is difficult to fight because it is burning in steep canyon terrain, with dry fuels, limited access and changing winds. Incident Commander Brad Pietruszka said crews are focused on protecting private land and infrastructure, but firefighter safety has to come first.
A larger Complex Incident Management Team is expected to take over management of the fire Tuesday morning.
